Let’s hear it again for innovation, eh? What the heck is Haus? Haus is described as “the first direct-to-consumer alcohol brand that’s redefining the liquor industry to deliver what today’s generation of drinkers want.”

Now let’s put aside the fact that wineries have been selling directly to consumers for decades. Haus is something entirely different. It is a low-abv aperitif designed specifically (and exclusively) to be sold online, not in stores. The company describes it as “a low-ABV alternative to hard liquors like whiskey and gin, meeting the demand of millennial drinkers who love the social ritual of drinking, but not the hangover.” The company now markets three expressions, but Bitter Clove, reviewed here, is the original.

OK, boomer, so — by design — this isn’t for you. Millennials out there who are sick of White Claw, here’s what to expect. The nose of Haus Bitter Clove is heavily focused on notes of clove-studded apple cider, thick with mulling spices. You can tell from the nose it’s going to be sweet and, sure enough, it is, offering notes of overripe fruit, applesauce-soaked-gingerbread, and a squeeze of lemon on top. Cloves, surprisingly, aren’t particularly enduring, as the sweetness overtakes the herbal character fairly handily. On the finish, the spirit’s sugary notes become almost overbearing, and the entire liqueur takes on an unfortunate cloying quality.

It’s really not my jam, but hey, I’m Gen X, so what do I know?

30 proof.

C / $35 / drink.haus

Haus Bitter Clove Aperitif

$35

5

Rating

5.0/10